Asked by fwvfhevdf

If a bat hits a ball, then the bat is pushing the ball. What is the reaction force?

Incorrect answer:

The ball flies through the air.

The ball breaks the bat
, Not Selected

The ball changes direction.
, Not Selected

The ball is pushing the bat.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The reaction force is the ball pushing on the bat — equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the bat’s push (Newton’s Third Law).

Note: “The ball flies,” “the ball changes direction,” or “the bat breaks” are outcomes of those forces, not the reaction force itself. The two forces act on different objects and therefore do not cancel each other.